This invention relates to the provision of new and useful improvements in suspension bridges. More particularly, it is directed to the addition of means to a suspension bridge which will breakup, scatter and deflect high winds flowing toward the bridge, whereby undesirable forces of the winds will be dissipated before they can reach and produce undesirable resonance swaying of the suspended roadway of the bridge.
A particular vexing, potentially dangerous and expensive problem associated with suspension bridges is the swaying of its hanging roadway and the resulting damage to it caused by high winds, particularly strong steady winds. This problem is associated especially to the central part of the roadway, that is the span which usually is the longest and hanging by vertical metal ropes from cables extending between high towers located at opposite sides of a wide waterway or canyon.
A general object of this invention is to improve a suspension bridge with means which will interfere with high wind flowing toward the bridge and will breakup a steady wind in such manner as to avoid the undesirable resonance swaying that it would otherwise bring to the bridge.
In accordance with the invention, wind breakup units are provided to be mounted along opposite sides of the hanging roadway of a suspension bridge. A unit includes a supporting frame which is adapted to be mounted to the sidewall of the roadway, and a metal plate which is pivoted to the frame so as to hang vertically in parallel spaced relation to the sidewall. The units are mountable to the roadway in close relation to one another so as to present along the roadway a wall of closely spaced plates that are swingable on their pivots relative to the frame and to the roadway. In such an arrangement, a driving steady wind flowing toward the bridge will be fragmented and spent in its force and volume in swinging the various plates with an accompanying recoiling, deflection, breakingup and scattering of the wind in various directions. The result will be an exhausted brokenup wind flow reaching the roadway, too spent in energy and volume to produce any undesirable resonance swaying of the roadway.
The particular structure of the invention, its features and advantages will become increasingly apparent as this specification unfolds in greater detail and as it is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein an embodiment of the invention is set forth. However, it is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for purposes of illustration and description, and it is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.